A high-pressure pump is at the heart of every functional pressure washing system. It's easy to overlook the pump when your pressure washer is performing correctly, but the pump quickly becomes the focus of concern when it fails.
A damaged or disabled high-pressure pump can leave you without the ability to use your pressure washer until the pump is replaced.
The best way to ensure you don't have any unscheduled downtime caused by a bad pump is to familiarize yourself with the two things that can cause a high-pressure pump to fail.
The more you know about these underlying issues, the better prepared you will be to stop them before they affect your pump in the future.
1. Neglected Maintenance
A high-pressure pump is just like any other piece of machinery. You must maintain your pump regularly if you expect it to continue performing reliably. Neglected maintenance has the potential to lead to pump failure.
Some of the routine maintenance tasks that you should be engaged in are changing the oil in your pump regularly, examining all seals for damage, and looking for any loose parts. If you don't address these routine issues, your pump could suffer serious consequences.
High-pressure pumps that are neglected can develop broken plungers and worn packings that could damage the pump beyond repair.
You can avoid the expense of investing in a new pump by taking the time to create a maintenance checklist that ensures all routine maintenance tasks are completed on time.
2. Poor Inlet Conditions
The inlet conditions present whenever you are using your pressure washer can impact the condition and performance of the high-pressure pump.
It's essential that your pressure washer has access to a constant stream of running water. If the water stops for even a moment, the high-pressure pump will run dry. This dry-running could lead to cavitation within the pump, leaving the pump beyond repair.
It's also critical that your water source be filtered as it enters your pressure washer system.
Unfiltered water may contain trace elements that could accumulate inside your high-pressure pump. These elements can eventually cause the materials used to construct the pump to deteriorate.
Always use a filtration system that is designed for your pressure washer so that your high-pressure pump doesn't sustain any long-term damage.
Being able to identify the reasons why a high-pressure pump might fail will allow you to be proactive in protecting the pump within your own pressure washer system.
For more information on high pressure pumps, contact a local business in Kent, WA.
Share